Rhythm Of Immortality
by NotxFadexAway
Summary: Cloud stepped forward slightly towards the now-grinning man, “Zack?”


_**Author's Note: **__Please excuse me if a lot of the events/names/etc in this fan fiction are incorrect, but they probably will be in order for me to convey the story properly. However, I will try my hardest not to screw up anything, but if it really bugs you, please point it out to me and I will try and correct it. Thanks! Hope you enjoy!_

It had been a year since Avalanche had once again saved the world, and the WRO was making tremendous and enormously successful attempts to restore the damage the Planet had suffered. Even the Turks and Rufus Shinra were working together with the WRO in order to help save the Planet. Their actions, however, caused much suspicion on the parts of Avalanche, who, even after the Turks' help with Sephiroth and his clones questioned their motives constantly. After all, one could never tell when it came to Rufus Shinra.

For now, the world was at peace. Even Cloud Strife was able to resolve his feelings of emptiness and had finally admitted his love for Tifa. They were now engaged and attempting to plan their wedding, while at the same time trying to dodge ridiculous ideas mentioned to them by everyone from Cid Highwind to Yuffie Kisaragi. Yuffie's ideas were mostly given because she felt the need to contribute to Tifa's wedding after Tifa requested that she be her Maid of Honor. The pair had built up a close friendship over the past four years, and even though Yuffie felt as if she was taking Aerith's place, she agreed to the position assigned to her.

Cloud, however, was trying to do anything possible to stay out of wedding preparation plans. As much as he loved Tifa, it was almost suicide to get in the way of her dreams when it came to their wedding. So instead, he took more package delivery offers in farther locations. Which is where he found himself now. Cloud boarded his motorcycle and looked at the package's address for the 100th time before turning the key in the ignition. He couldn't fathom that he would have to return to Gongaga again, let alone deliver a package to Mr. and Mrs. Fair. Unwittingly, old memories of Zack resurfaced and Cloud felt a tinge of misery as he recalled his best friend's last moments. Cloud still hadn't picked a best man for his wedding and Tifa had been on his back about it for a while, however, she knew that Cloud wasn't really close to any of their male friends. It was times like this that Cloud wished Zack was back. He would have chosen Zack as his best man in a heart beat.

Two hours later, Cloud arrived in Gongaga and was surprised to see how much progress the WRO had made. The last time he had been here, Gongaga had made Midgar seem like paradise in respect to atmosphere. Now, the place had flowers growing in every corner and the grass was actually green and not the rust color that toxins from the Mako Reactor had previously exposed it to. Cloud was impressed. He was impressed even more so when he arrived at the Fair household to see that it had been completely renovated. It now resembled a miniature mansion rather than the tiny shack that he was used to. Clutching the package in his hands, Cloud wondered briefly why Tseng of all people would want to send the Fairs a package. He knew that Zack and Tseng had encountered each other on several missions, but he didn't think that they were good friends.

Cloud hesitantly walked up to the front door of the house and paused. The last time he had been here, he had possessed most of Zack's memories and made them his own. He only hoped that Mrs. and Mr. Fair didn't remember who he was so he didn't have to suffer from an awkward encounter. Knocking lightly on the door, Cloud stood back a little as he waited for someone to answer. The door swung open to reveal a man in his mid 50s. Cloud had to bite his lip to stifle the gasp that threatened to escape him at the sight. He had forgotten how much Zack and his dad looked alike. It was like seeing a much older version of his best friend.

"Can I help you?" Mr. Fair asked, studying the package in Cloud's hands. He didn't remember him. Cloud silently thanked Zack and handed the package to his father.

"Just delivering a package," Cloud replied and stood back to study the older man's reaction.

"Thank you, very much," Mr. Fair replied with a smile that could have easily been stolen from Zack, "Have a nice day," with that, he turned around and walked back into the house, closing the door behind him.

And that was it. Two hours of agonizing over this out-of-the-way trip for a tiny exchange and the knowledge that he would never know what was in that package. All in all, a complete waste of time.

_But was it really?_

Cloud felt extreme relief at the moment and he couldn't exactly explain why. Maybe in seeing that Mr. Fair was okay and happy, it provided him with some kind of closure, but he wasn't sure. Part of him wanted to knock on the door again and spill out all of his memories of Zack and ask for confirmation that he was forgiven for those events, but he knew that would only make things worse. Instead, Cloud started to walk back towards his motorcycle. It had been a long day, and it was no where near over.

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_In the 'promised land'…._

"One of us has to go back. They have no idea what's coming and we need to help them."

"If one of us has to go back, it has to be on a permanent basis, we have enough power to send one of us there, but if we come back, we'll be throwing a wrench in the life stream's process. We've already seen that happen with Seph – no offense – but every time he has returned here, the planet has suffered major damage from the power imbalance."

Aerith turned towards Zack and nodded, "Alright why don't you go then?"

Zack's eyes widened in surprise, "Me? You mean you don't want to go?"

"I don't think it has anything to do with her not wanting to go, more that she has an obligation to stay here," Sephiroth answered while walking towards the duo.

Aerith nodded slightly at Sephiroth, agreeing, "It's true, Zack, as an ancient I have…."

Zack cut her off, "Many responsibilities to fulfill for the planet, even after death. Yeah, I know. Don't you ever get tired of saying that?" He shot her an annoyed glare and then shook his head, "Sorry, I'm just not sure what to make of all this."

Zack walked off and left the pair alone. He could hear them talking in hushed voices in the distance, but he didn't really care. Neither Sephiroth nor Aerith were exactly the best people to ask for advice. Especially considering they had started a relationship _after_ Sephiroth stabbed masamune through Aerith's gut. People that founded a relationship on murder obviously had some major psychological issues. Not that that aspect wasn't already present in Sephiroth, but Zack would have thought that Aerith would have had more common sense. Apparently ancients had more mental instability than he thought.

Zack trudged his way through the celestial forest until he came to another small clearing. This one held a tiny, turquoise-stained lake with cherry blossom trees surrounding it. It was truly a beautiful sight, and the area itself was immensely peaceful. So it was no surprise that he found Angeal reading a book by the water's edge. Zack moved carefully around the lake and sat down next to his friend. He picked up one of the many pebbles lining the area and tossed it into the lake, where it skidded before becoming airborne and smacking into one of the trees beyond.

Angeal put down his book and raised his eyebrow at Zack, "Something bothering you? You aren't usually one to destroy nature so carelessly."

Zack rolled his eyes at that. It was a well-known fact that Angeal was practically mother earth in disguise, "You mean other than Aerith and Seph's twisted relationship?" Angeal let out a low laugh at that and Zack continued, "They suggested I go back to the Planet to deal with this crisis."

Angeal shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "And that's a problem?"

Zack narrowed his eyes at him somewhat, "I would have to go back permanently."

Angeal sat up straighter and nodded, "Ah, so that's the problem. Well if it's the loneliness you're dreading, why don't you take Cissnei with you?"

Zack's face practically lit up at that, "I didn't even think about that. Do you think she'd actually go with me, knowing that it would be a long time before she could return?"

"Well that punctures a hole in your 'permanent' theory. You'll have to die again, eventually. However, I think Cissnei would be more than willing to return to the Planet with you," Angeal replied softly.

"As much as I'm hoping you're right, we haven't exactly been dating that long…." Zack trailed off as he thought about it. Three months wasn't _that_ long in terms of 'come with me to the Planet permanently'. He would have to convince her somehow, but he had no idea how. All he knew was that he had to ask Cissnei. Standing abruptly, Zack looked down at the bewildered Angeal and nodded.

"Thanks for your help, Angeal, I'll see you…..later," Zack hesitated on the last word, hoping he would see Angeal again before his departure. He headed off once more and within a half an hour he arrived in the small village that made up the south part of the Promised Land. The village itself was small because it only served residence to five people: Himself, Aerith and Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal, and Cissnei. The houses, however, were _huge_. They also had their own stores and entertainment centers as well in the area. Zack was more than grateful that he had ended up in the Promised Land, however, he was still a bit bitter that Aerith had demanded Sephiroth be allowed in solely because she wanted to prove that he could redeem himself. If he hadn't been able to, all of them would have probably been dead by now.

Zack made his way over to the house adjacent his own – Cissnei's. He remembered being shocked that she had died only two weeks after he, himself, had expired. Apparently, the plane she had been flying with Tseng had a damaged engine that the maintenance crew stupidly missed, which resulted in their plane having to crash land in the mountains near Nibelheim. Cissnei never made it, while it was obvious that Tseng had, given the fact that Zack had yet to see him here.

Zack walked up to Cissnei's front door and knocked several times before allowing himself in. Although Cissnei had given him permission to let himself in whenever he wanted, he still felt that it was appropriate to give her some sort of warning before he barged in to her house. After all, Zack had enough manners to save her from an indecent situation if one ever arose. "Hey Cissnei!" he called out and heard a muffled reply coming from the kitchen. Making his way over, Zack found Cissnei pulling a batch of cookies out of the oven. Zack met her gaze and raised his eye brow.

"Oh shut up, I'm not turning into Aerith, I just wanted cookies," she said smiling.

"Hey! I don't blame you, besides, I don't think you could ever be Aerith," he smiled, "And I'm glad for that."

Cissnei smiled back at him and watched as Zack took a cookie. He bit into it and was surprised that it tasted so good, "I didn't know you could cook," he commented, surprised.

"Well when you're the only female member in the Turks, you kind of have to know how to cook," Cissnei shook her auburn locks in an annoyed manner, "Also, it didn't help that Reno had no problem exploiting the finer aspects of sexism."

Zack laughed and finished off the cookie before hopping onto Cissnei's counter. He watched as she put the cookies on a cooling rack and washed the dishes that were involved in making the cookies. Once she was done, she turned to him and put her hands on her hips, "So, what brings you here? And don't tell me you just wanted to see your girlfriend, because you have business-face on."

Zack frowned slightly at that, "I have a business-face?" At her look, Zack decided it would be best to continue, "I have to return to the Planet."

Cissnei shrugged slightly and nodded, "Okay, that's fine, how long will you be gone? A few days, a week?"

Zack shook his head and stared at her intensely, "No, Cissnei, I mean on a permanent basis."

Cissnei's eyes widened in surprise as she took that information in. Then they narrowed and she angrily walked over to Zack, who was extremely taken aback. "Well that's just great Zack, finally, when I think I've found the perfect guy, he decides to pack up and leave me! How do you expect me to react to that? Am I supposed to be happy for you? Should I wait a lifetime for your return? How do you even know that they need you –," She was abruptly cut off as Zack picked her up and kissed her, laughing wildly.

Cissnei was bewildered, as she was put back down. "Is this a joke, Zack? Because I don't think it's funny."

Zack's expression was tense once more, "No it's not a joke Cissnei, but I don't want to leave you. I want you to come with me. Well I mean, only if you want, you don't have --,"

It was Zack's turn to be cut off, "Of course I'll come with you," Cissnei replied determinedly, "Besides, who will take care of _your_ lazy ass without me?" She smirked at him.

Zack smiled and hopped off of the counter. He took a step forward and enveloped Cissnei in a warm hug, "Thanks, Cissnei, I really appreciate it."

Cissnei nodded before breaking off the hug, "So……when do we leave?"

Zack shrugged, "Now, I guess. I mean if Lothex is as powerful as the Celestial Ancients say he is, we'll have to get a move on. Besides, all of us were upgraded to Illuminati status in preparation for Lothex's attack. So that's gotta say something about him, right?"

Cissnei nodded in agreement, "Well let me just grab my weapons and we can get going."

Zack nodded and watched as she left the room. His own weapon was secured tightly in its sheath on his belt. On his acceptance into the Illuminati, Zack was also given a new sword, Hikaramu, that was made from the purest light crystals that the Celestial Ancients owned. They told him that his sword could cut an enemy down that was eight hundred feet away. Zack was itching to try it. However, he knew that with his new strength and power, he had to act responsibly. The Illuminati was only one level below the Celestial Ancients in terms of power, and was seen as the strong hold in protecting the Celestial Ancients. If Zack failed, the Illuminati failed, and the Celestial Ancient Order was in jeopardy. It was probably one of the biggest responsibilities he was ever granted.

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_Two hours later…._

Zack, Cissnei, Angeal, Genesis, Sephiroth, and Aerith all stood in a giant clearing surrounding an enormous crystal that would transport Cissnei and Zack back to the Planet. They had already said their goodbyes and now Zack and Cissnei were waiting for Aerith to initiate the spell that would make them human (or semi-human) again. Zack watched as Aerith started the chant and placed her hands in front of the crystal. It started to glow a light blue before it emitted a shower of sparks that surrounded Zack and Cissnei. Zack thought the process would have been more impressive than this, but it was apparent that he was about to be disappointed. That was, until he heard a cracking noise.

Everyone's eyes widened in the group, including Aerith's as they watched cracks form along the crystal. Zack was suddenly growing nervous and only had time to shout, "Is this supposed to happen?" before the crystal shattered completely and let out an explosion of power and white light. Zack was completely immobilized and could see absolutely nothing but an endless tunnel of white. He attempted to reach out and grasp on to something, anything, but he felt nothing but air. His senses were slowly being stolen from him, he couldn't hear anything, and it felt as if the air had been sucked from his lungs. Zack started to become increasingly dizzy and before he knew it, he was completely unconscious.

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_The Planet…._

Cloud finally made his way back to his motorcycle and hopped on. He revved the engine before taking off towards the mako reactor that would lead him out of town. Unfortunately, Cloud only made it to the 'You are now leaving Gongaga' sign before it happened. The earth had started to shake so violently that Cloud was thrown from his bike, which promptly crashed into small group of bushes near by. Cloud muttered a string of curses as he looked around to see what the source of the chaos was. He watched as the mako reactor exploded, sending a shower of debris into the forest. Luckily, none of the debris had landed in Gongaga. That would have cost the WRO at least a million dollars to clean up. Well at least Reeve had unintentionally found a way to destroy the mako reactor stationed at Gongaga.

Cloud let out a painful grunt as the steel handle of the door to the mako reactor collided with his lower back. That would put him off of delivery duty for at least a week. He pulled the offending piece of metal off of his back and threw it to the side. He was pretty sure his back was bleeding profusely. Maybe not enough for him to return home safely, but enough to halt some of his more adventurous extra curricular activities (otherwise known as his pointless activities to avoid wedding planning with Tifa) which included fighting random fiends that surrounded Edge. Cursing again, Cloud crawled over to his motorcycle and opened one of the many compartments on the side. He produced a thick white rag from the compartment and tore off a small piece which he proceeded to wrap around his waist. It wouldn't stop the pain, but it _would_ stop the blood flow.

Cloud clumsily got to his feet and turned just in time to see an explosion of light erupt from the sky in the form of a white beam. It seemed to stretch endlessly into the sky, but in terms of location, it certainly had an ending point. Which happened to be about a hundred feet from where Cloud was standing. Cloud's eyes narrowed and he unsheathed his sword, just in case whatever arrived from that beam was something that could endanger the people of Gongaga or the Planet itself.

Speaking of the people of Gongaga, Cloud had barely noticed the screaming and chaos that was going on behind him as people rushed out of their homes to see what was going on. Cloud immediately noticed Mr. and Mrs. Fair rush to the front of the crowd to see what was going on. Annette Fair locked eyes with Cloud and nodded in understanding. Cloud was momentarily confused by the gesture, but then he remembered that he had his sword out and was standing several feet in front of the crowd as if to protect them. Obviously Mrs. Fair trusted him, even though he was a complete stranger. Unless she recognized who he was after all.

Cloud re-focused his attention on the scene before him. The light was growing brighter by the second, to the point that Cloud and the others had to shield their eyes from the sight. The light soon disappeared, however, and Cloud slowly removed his hand from its resting place on his eyes. He looked towards the spot that the light had come from seconds before and nearly fainted. Standing less than a hundred feet from him was Zack Fair, Ex-Soldier First Class and the man who saved his life.

Cloud stepped forward slightly towards the now-grinning man, "Zack?"


End file.
